Baltimore Orioles: The worst contracts since 2010

The Baltimore Orioles had a good run before the organization started a complete rebuild in 2018. Not signing these players could’ve put them over the top.

The Baltimore Orioles had a good run before the wheels fell off the wagon and the organization started a complete rebuild in 2018. They reached the postseason in 2012, 2014, and 2016 but could never get over the hump and bring home a World Series.

While former Orioles general manager Dan Duquette deserves some credit for bringing in bargain players like Nelson Cruz and Delmon Young, he also had more than his fair share of free agent duds.

He came back for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2017 and had a solid year posting a 3.66 ERA in the tough AL East. That’s when the O’s swooped in a signed him to a 4 year 57 million dollar deal.

Since signing with the Orioles, injures have really derailed Cobb’s career. He pitched in 2018, but not well, posting a 4.9 ERA. Then 2019 was mostly a wash, only pitching in 3 games and posting an ERA just south of 11.

2020 was poised to be a potential rebound year for Cobb, but with the season on hold and a good chance that it might get canceled, the first three years of the contract seem to be a waste. And for $57M that’s an awful deal.